Amupitan: Primary That Excludes Women Fails Test of Our New Regulatory Standards

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash  Amupitan, has warned political parties that any primary election that side-lined women would fail the commission’s regulatory standards ahead of the 2027 general election.

Amupitan added that under the Electoral Act 2026 and the commission’s new guidelines, INEC would be scrutinising the inclusivity of party primaries like never before. 

He said the commission believed it was no longer enough to offer free nomination forms to women while maintaining glass ceilings in the inner caucuses.

He spoke yesterday in Abuja at the commission’s 2026 International Women’s Day celebration held at the INEC headquarters.

The chairman stressed that INEC would continue to mainstream gender considerations in its policies, programmes, and operations.

He stated that the commission would also continue to support advocacy efforts and legislative initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for women’s participation in leadership and governance.

Amupitan stated, “The participation of women in elective positions in Nigeria still falls short of expectations. Democracy is strengthened when women participate not only as voters but also as candidates, party leaders, legislators and decision-makers.

“Therefore, I would like to use this opportunity to encourage women across the country to dare to step forward and take up leadership responsibilities.

“I urge more women to contest for elective positions at all levels, from local government councils to state assemblies, the National Assembly and beyond.”

The INEC chairman said, “Leadership should not be viewed as the preserve of a few; it should reflect the diversity and strength of our society.

“To the political parties, the commission, which is your regulator and a custodian of our democratic integrity, believes it is no longer enough to offer free nomination forms to women while maintaining glass ceilings in your inner caucuses.”

He said, “Under the Electoral Act 2026 and our new Guidelines, INEC will be scrutinising the inclusivity of party primaries like never before.  A primary that systematically excludes women is a primary that fails the test of our new regulatory standards. There must be internal democracy that caters to women too.”

The commission stressed that there was a need to confront the rising tide of gender-based disinformation and digital violence.

Amupitan said, “As we head toward 2027, the commission is aware that female candidates are disproportionately targeted by online harassment and fake news designed to suppress their ambition.

“We are, therefore, using the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2026 to send a strong message to the peddlers of such toxicity. The electoral space must be a sanctuary for ideas, not a battlefield of gender-targeted character assassination.”

Earlier, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Outreach and Partnership Committee, Professor Abdullahi Abdu-Zuru, described the theme of the celebration, “Give to Gain: Advancing Women Leadership for Inclusive Progress,” as a call to sustained action.

Abdu-Zuru said women in the commission currently served as National Commissioners, Secretary to the Commission, Resident Electoral Commissioners, Administrative Secretaries and Directors, describing their performance as a reflection of competence and equitable opportunity within the institution.

In her presentation on the commission’s journey so far, Secretary to the commission, Dr. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, described the progress made in advancing women’s participation as steady, structured and policy-driven.

Aremu Seeks National Assembly Support for Women in Govt

Director-General of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Comrade Issa Aremu, called on the National Assembly to make deliberate constitutional and policy reforms that would increase women’s representation in governance.

Aremu made the call in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on the side-lines of the celebration of the 2026 International Women’s Day, organised by the institute, in collaboration with Development Research and Projects Centre in Abuja.

Aremu also called for the creation of special seats for women in Nigeria’s National Assembly.

The event, themed, “Advancing Women Through Unity: The Impact of Collective Support – Give to Gain,” brought together labour leaders, market women, people living with disabilities, government officials, and development partners in a citizenship engagement to discuss strategies for strengthening women’s participation in leadership and national development.

According to Aremu, Nigeria must adopt deliberate measures to address the persistent under-representation of women in political decision-making.

He said, “We must be deliberate and intentional about women’s participation in governance. Women constitute a significant portion of the population and should be adequately represented in leadership positions.”

Aremu explained that discussions on gender inclusion in governance had proposed the creation of six reserved legislative seats for women across each geopolitical zone in the country.